Quebrada Parque is a 3.5 ha site located in Puerto Varas, southern Chile. A permanent creek runs through the site (from south to north), surrounded by steep hillslides along its upper and mid sections. In the lower section, the creek flows into one of the town’s last urban wetlands and then out of it into lake Llanquihue (second largest lake in the country; low water renovation rate makes it vulnerable to pollution). Urban growth and unregulated interventions -including deforestation and wetland filling- have severely compromised the ecosystem services that the site used to provide, particularly in terms of flood control and water quality management. Having identified these challenges, Patagua started in 2017 a collaborative initiative that aims to restore the site in terms of its ecological and hydrological functionality, while also promoting social integration around it.
Local climate and air quality: Trees provide shade whilst forests influence rainfall and water availability both locally and regionally. Trees or other plants also play an important role in regulating air quality by removing pollutants from the atmosphere.
Erosion prevention and maintenance of soil fertility: Soil erosion is a key factor in the process of land degradation and desertification. Vegetation cover provides a vital regulating service by preventing soil erosion. Soil fertility is essential for plant growth and agriculture and well functioning ecosystems supply the soil with nutrients required to support plant growth.
Recreation and mental and physical health: Walking and playing sports in green space is not only a good form of physical exercise but also lets people relax. The role that green space plays in maintaining mental and physical health is increasingly being recognized, despite difficulties of measurement.
PPT(mm/yr): 1.0
T(ºc): 10.0
Elevation of demosite: | 60.0 meters above sea level |
Humidity: | Perhumid |
PETr (by year): |
Peak flows are increasing due to ongoing urban growth in the upper basin, hence the need to increase the wetland’s storage capacity to prevent flooding. The solution has been designed to control the 10-year storm flow with green infrastructure (vegetated parapet around the wetland’s perimeter) and safely evacuate the 100-year storm flow through a spillway into the municipal rainwater network.
A. Upper section: Conservation area. Vegetation is being preserved as a dual regulation strategy. B. Upper-mid section: Restoration area. Garbage has mostly been removed through participatory activities. C. Lower-mid section: Restoration area. D. Lower section: Restoration and public use area.
In terms of ecological planning, fours areas are identified across de site from upstream to downstream: A. Upper section: Confluence of two small tributaries; high vegetation cover; water uptake, biomass production and habitat provision. B. Upper-mid section: High carrying capacity; biomass production; high coverage of exotic invasive species; frequent garbage dumping. C. Lower-mid section: Remnants of native Myrtaceae flooded forests. D. Lower section: Intervened wetland
Social ecohydrological system
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EH Methodology
Catchment Ecohydrological sub-system
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Catchment Sociological sub-system
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